You are here: HomeNews In Brief Refrigerated Trailer Operation Limits Being Discussed in California

Created: 09.12.2017

The California Air Resources Board has scheduled workshops to discuss limiting the operating time of refrigerated trucks and trailers while at certain facilities, including grocery stores, distribution centers and cold storage warehouses.

California has recently set new targets for reducing air pollution, including decreasing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to 1990 levels by 2020, to 40 percent below 1990 levels by 2030, to 80 percent below 1990 levels by 2050, and cutting petroleum use by cars and trucks by up to half from 2015 levels by 2030. In order to address air pollution around freight corridors and near distribution centers, California is considering an operation limit for Transport Refrigeration Units (TRUs).

The current concept calls for the registration of all TRUs operating in California beginning in 2020; an initial 6-hour stationary operating limit beginning in 2023 that reduces to 15 minutes in 2029; and ultimately a mandatory phase-in of zero-emission TRUs between 2025 and 2050. The use of electronic tracking and reporting is proposed to enforce the operational limits.

TRUs are sometimes used as cold storage before major holidays and events or overflow outside grocery stores and distribution centers. Some distribution centers also operate in a way that causes TRU-equipped trucks and trailers to be parked or queued for extended times, waiting for an open loading dock space or manpower to unload goods, or waiting for dispatch or driver pick-up. These operations sometimes continue for several days.

Near-term and long-term solutions are being explored for cleaner TRU operations. Near-term strategies include building additional storage space for facilities that use TRUs as overflow. Long-term, the transition to near-zero-emission technologies and ultimately zero-emission technologies will be phased in over time, possibly beginning in the 2020 decade and extending out to 2050.